


Final Goodbye

by nanaprincess91



Series: Island Bonds [4]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Fluff, Goodbyes, Hurt/Comfort, Kingdom Hearts III Spoilers, Minor Kairi/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 13:22:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20046721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanaprincess91/pseuds/nanaprincess91
Summary: A missing scene from Kingdom Hearts III. Sora runs into a familiar star stuck in the Final World while recompleting himself.Semi-sequel to my fic: Lethologica.





	Final Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> I recommend reading Lethologica, the story of what Sora's mother and father went through during the year between KH Chain of Memories and KH2, to understand a couple of references.
> 
> Sora's father drowned at sea while trying to find his son. Now, in the Final World, they reunite once more.

Sora didn’t know how much longer he could wander around the Final World. 

After speaking to Chirithy and the Nameless Star, he knew he had to keep fighting to get back to his friends. He still wasn’t quite sure how he was still here, hanging by a thread in Chirithy’s words, but he couldn’t give up. He had to collect the pieces of himself.

The world was endless, an infinite landscape of sea and sky, but the dozens of sparkling stars broke the monotony of the scenery. His conversation with the Nameless Star had sparked an ember of curiosity in him at first, a spark to stop and talk to the stars and listen to their stories. But each heart trapped in this world only added to his sorrow. 

There were children who had been separated from their parents, people waiting for their true loves, hearts filled with loneliness or vengeance. Each conversation was like a jab in his heart. Would he have ended up like this too? Constantly reliving the battle that had murdered him and his friends? As much as he wanted to keep hearing their stories, carrying their pain back to the living world so they wouldn’t be forgotten, Sora didn’t know how much more he could handle and he needed to focus on getting back to his friends. He had to believe they were alive.

_ “She was supposed to meet me there…” _

_ “I’ll never forgive them!” _

_ “Why didn’t he love me?” _

Sora shut his eyes, trying to block the hearts’ painful stories. He had to focus. He had to. He opened his eyes and was rewarded for the action. Sora spotted a clone of him running around in circles and grinned. Back on track. He started dashing towards the figure.

_ “I wasn’t ready to go!” _

_ “I trusted him and he killed me.” _

_ “Where did he go?” _

Sora skidded to a stop, frozen in place.

_ That voice…. _

He pulled his gaze away from the clone and to his left. There was a cluster of star-shaped hearts there, spinning lazily in place. They all looked identical and yet, Sora approached one hovering only a foot off the ground towards the edge of the cluster. He found he had difficulty swallowing.

“H-hello?” he said in a shaky voice.

_ “....Sora?”  _ The star’s voice said breathlessly in a baritone voice.

“Dad.” Sora’s voice broke. 

In an instant, his eyes were brimming with tears and he collapsed to his knees in front of the star. 

“It’s you,” Sora said.

_ “Sora,”  _ the star repeated joyfully, floating higher off the ground, near Sora’s face.  _ “You’re here! Is this where you’ve been?” _

Sora shook his head. He knew he had a heart beating inside him, but right now, it felt caught in his throat. He shook his head again, unable to stop as his cries grew louder. He muffled sob into his arm.

_ “Your mother and I were so worried. We looked everywhere for you.” _

“I-I’m sorry...I’m so sorry,” Sora choked out. 

Sora hiccuped out another sob, back bent as he pressed his forehead to the ground. He shook his head repeatedly, feeling the thin layer of water wet his hair. This wasn’t supposed to happen. After his mother had told him about his father’s death, Sora had believed his father had passed on, had found peace and rest. But this was where he had been the last year? Trapped in this purgatory? 

“It’s my fault,” Sora whispered, hand clutched to his chest. For once, he did wish he didn’t have a heart to feel this pain. “It’s my fault you’re here.”

Sora felt a warm presence near his head, almost like a comforting hand.

_ “Sora, look at me.” _

He shook his head, keeping his gaze low, tears running down his nose.

_ “Sora...please.” _

Sora looked up to find the star close to his head. He didn’t give his father a chance to talk.

“It’s my fault. You were looking for me. M-mom told me...She said there was a storm and you…” Sora looked at his father’s heart, lower lip wobbling again. “You…”

_ “I made that choice, Sora. I wanted to find you and broke your mother’s trust to do that."  _ The star rested gently by Sora’s shoulder.  _ “Don’t blame yourself, son. Please.” _

Sora pushed himself back so he was sitting, wrapping his arms around his knees. The star floated at a lower level in front of Sora, keeping him company. He could almost imagine him and his dad, sitting on a little raft, fishing like they used to do in the summers, quietly for a few minutes before Sora would get impatient and throw himself into the water. His father would laugh before jumping in after him.

_ “Are you alright?” _

Sora let out a watery laugh, looking down at his translucent hands. “I don’t know. I think I’m dead.”

Sora’s father let out a gruff huff and Sora looked up.

_ “No. I refuse to believe you’re gone.” _

Sora laughed again, a little less watery this time before he murmured, weakly. “They killed me. And my friends...Riku...Kairi...all my friends, dad….all of them.”

Sora’s father was silent for a few seconds before he hissed,  _ “I’ll make them pay when they make it here then.”  _ There was a long pause.  _ “...Your mother?...” _

“Safe at home,” Sora said softly. “She’s alright. She misses you….We both do.” Sora tugged at the crown necklace around his neck, the one his father had given him when he was just a child. “The house is too empty without you.”

_ “That’s how it was when you were gone too...And then, we-...”  _ He heard his father hesitate before he let out a sad sigh and continued, “ _ we forgot. I’m sorry, Sora. I can’t explain it but we just forgot.” _

Sora nodded. “Mom told me...and I saw your letter.”

_ “Please forgive me...” _

“It wasn’t your fault. It was because...well...it’s a long story,” Sora said with a sad chuckle. “I got myself in some trouble and it affected everyone’s memories. I’m sorry for putting you through that.”

His father let out a loud laugh. Tears stung Sora’s eyes again.

_ “Sora, you’ve always gotten into trouble. I’m just glad that you always got out of it.” _

“Kairi and Riku kept me out of trouble and my new friends, Donald and Goofy,” Sora confessed. “Not me.”

_ “Yes well, you did the same for them. I'm sure,”  _ The star spun in place, almost with worry.  _ “But Sora, where  _ were _ you?” _

Did he have the time? His friends were hanging on the edge of life and death and he didn’t know how long this miracle that was keeping him together would hold. But this was his father. He hadn’t seen him since the morning of the storm that had set this whole journey in motion when he was fourteen. He'd come home to the islands to find a grave in the front yard and an empty space in the house. He hadn’t gotten to say goodbye or to tell him about his adventures or anything. 

“It’s….”

_ “A long story.”  _ His father completed. His voice was wistful, almost like he knew Sora couldn't stay long.

“I was chosen,” Sora said in a confident voice, looking up with a determined look in his eyes. He’d take a minute, just one. His dad was worth it. “That night of the storm, our world was destroyed by these monsters. Me, Riku, and Kairi have been traveling to other worlds to stop them and help other people. After we brought back the islands, Riku was missing…I had to go find him. That’s why I didn’t come back with Kairi and that’s when….”

That’s when his father had died, in that year while he was away chasing Riku after saving Kairi.

Sora swallowed with difficulty. “I came back though. Mom knows I’m okay. I told her everything. And they’ve named a street after you.”

At this, his father let out a loud laugh.  _ “It better not be the one by the tannery.” _

Sora chuckled. “Naw, it’s the one by the pier.”

His father laughed heartily again. “ _ Good. By the sea and a good place to keep an eye on you and your mother.” _

Sora looked over at the clone of himself, still running in circles. He didn’t have a lot of time.

“Dad-”

_ “I’m proud of you, Sora.”  _ His father said.

The statement took Sora aback and he stared, open-mouthed at the star.

_ “Don’t give me that look,”  _ his dad scolded teasingly.  _ “I am. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot.”  _ His voice was soft and kind.  _ “Especially if you ended up here. But I can see you. You’ve grown up.” _

Sora felt a lump in his throat again and nodded.

_ “How old are you now?” _

“Seventeen…”

His father’s voice sounded raspy, with unshed tears.  _ “Grown up so much without me there, haven’t you? And you’re not done yet, Sora. I know it. You’re going to find your way out and you’re going to live.” _

Sora steeled his heart with resolve; the Nameless Star was right. He had a purpose. He would not be leaving his dad here in this world. He’d find a way to bring him back. They’d be a family again, altogether, going fishing and eating breakfast outside, making curry, and hearing stories about his father growing up. This wasn’t the end. He refused to believe it.

He jumped to his feet and looked around the landscape for a clue. “You’re coming too, dad. I’m gonna find a way-”

_ “Sora-” _

“If I can make it out, then there’s gotta be a way for you to get out too. I’m sure I can talk to Chir-”

_ “Sora!” _

Sora flinched and turned back to his father.

_ “I can’t.” _

“But-”

_ “No, son, listen. You have a form. I drowned years ago. There’s nowhere for me to return to.” _

“But mom-”

_ “She has you. Find your way back to her.” _

Deep down, he knew his dad was right and that truth stung harder than any blow he had ever taken.

Sora looked down. “I’m scared...My friends...what if they didn’t make it?”

_ “Sora, if I know anything about you, Kairi, and Riku is that the world could tear itself apart and you three would find each other. You always have. Promise me you won’t give up. Fight to find them. And fight to go back to your mother.” _

Sora’s eyes filled with tears. “I can’t leave you here…”

He could hear the smile in his father’s voice. “ _ You won’t…” _

Sora realized that the edges of the star were starting to sparkle a little brighter, expanding, changing. Sora gasped.

“Dad, what’s going on?”

_ “Sora, I need you to listen. There’s a box full of things I wanted you to have underneath the bed. Family things, journals. They’re yours. Read them and take care of them.” _

Sora shook his head, tears already spilling again.

_ “Always follow your heart. Cherish your friends and your family and whoever you choose for your life partner-” _

“I shared a paopu,” Sora said quickly, wanting to share one thing of his life with his father, at least one piece of happy news. “With Kairi.” 

His father laughed, the brightness spreading towards the center of the star.  _ “About time. Did she ask you or you ask her?” _

Sora blushed. “She asked me.”

_ “Tell your mother I hid five pieces of munny in that blue vase of hers. She won the bet. I thought you’d ask her. Guess I was wrong.” _

“Hey!” Sora said, pouting, but it quickly devolved into a chuckle. “Yeah…”

_ “Sora.” _

When he looked up, he could see his father, still young considering all, in his late 30’s, short brown hair, blue eyes, a simple chain around his neck. However, he glowed faintly, the outline in a soft gold, and despite the color, he was still transparent. It wasn’t like how Sora had looked before, crystalline, but like a fading image, a hologram. His father took a step towards him and Sora realized they stood almost eye to eye. Sora’s lower lip wobbled as his father wrapped his arms around him. He could barely feel them, less like arms and more like the softest of summer breezes. Sora returned the hug, squeezing.

_ “Tell your mother I love her and I’ll see you both again in the future. The far off future, please.”  _ He pulled away and pressed his forehead to Sora’s, both of them closing their eyes.  _ “I love you, son.” _

“I love you too…” Sora whispered.

He felt the pressure against his own forehead slowly fade away, a soft twinkling sound moving up and growing softer. The summer breeze died down with the last sound of a fading chuckle. Sora refused to open his eyes, to face what he knew was true. Instead, he let the tears run down his cheeks and rubbed the bottom of his nose on the back of his glove noisily.

_ Open your eyes. _

But he didn’t. He stood there, letting his shoulders shake. 

_ I can’t stay here…They need me. _

Sora took one last steadying breath before opening his eyes. His father’s star was gone, moved on. He could feel it in his heart. The other stars in the cluster spun in exuberant circles, as if celebrating. Maybe they were.

“I love you too,” Sora repeated, looking up to the sky before wiping one last tear from his cheek.

Then, Sora turned back to his clone, his mouth set in a determined line. No more wasting time. He had to get his friends back, and he had a message to deliver. With his heart full of his father’s goodbye, Sora raced towards his future. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading my fic! I'll be adding more to this Island Bonds series which explores family and friend ties between the Destiny Trio and those back on the islands. Leave a comment or kudos <3


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